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Wednesday, October 5, 2005

Hippie, not dippy

Ta Det Lugnt (translated means take it easy) is a psychedelic album that can be enjoyed, if you can imagine, without the aid of psychotropic drugs. And such feats are easier said than done, as any sobered-up Deadhead can attest. That Lugnt is finally available domestically (expanded with a bonus disc of five previously unreleased songs) is reason enough to put down the bong and listen up, because this shit is genuine and exciting.

The ambitious psych-rock is masterminded by Gustav Ejstes, a twentysomething musical savant who plays most of the instruments on this and all other Dungen (rhymes with onion) releases (a couple of albums and a handful of singles). But dont wince at the Swedish lyrics  hell, whats in a word?  because far more can be found in the epic instrumentation.

Its doses of psych are denser and more complex than the flowery, hippy-dippy twaddle from late-60s Haight-Ashbury scene, but not as clunky or fuzz-laden as the countless private press LPs (Mystic Siva, etc.) lauded by record snobs. Who bothers to use a flute anymore? Ejstes does, and its his attention to such details that makes this album indispensable. Takin it easy has never been so rewarding.